SUPErstition
by VampLover1
Summary: Eric gets caught in Sookie and Amelia's tricky web... but is the problem superstition or real magic? Follows FDTW. My submission for Week #11's one-shot challenge: “A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest man."


**A/N:** This is my submission for Week #11's one-shot challenge.

**Theme:** "A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest man."

**SUPErstition**

My brush with superstition began on a beautiful spring day.

It was almost four o'clock and I was definitely going to be late for work. The reason? I had lost track of the time while cleaning my house with Amelia. "Spring cleaning fever" had hit my roommate in a big way. She was determined to give 110% of her effort to beautifying my old home. I thought maybe something stressful was motivating her, like her father coming to visit. But after a quick look into her head, I realized she wasn't worried about anything at all; she simply wanted to clean house.

She proceeded to take down the curtains, move around furniture, dust the ceiling fans, and even polish my Gran's silver serving pieces (which seldom saw the light of day). It was an overwhelming undertaking and I really appreciated her efforts. But I felt guilty just relaxing with a good mystery book while she toiled all day to make my home spotless. Besides, I have found cleaning to be a cathartic experience on occasion; so, I rolled up my sleeves and got down and dirty, too. The weather was perfect; sunny with a cool breeze coming in through the windows. We cranked up the stereo and worked together to give my home a much needed sprucing up.

After a long day, I realized that it was getting late so I hurriedly gathered our cleaning supplies. Amelia was standing across the hallway from me and saw me finishing up.

"I just want to dust the figurines on the mantel. Throw me the can of furniture polish," Amelia said.

A few things happened then, all in quick succession. I tossed the can with a little less precision than you would expect from a former softball player; the phone rang and Amelia briefly turned her attention away from me; the polish can went flying from my hands, just missed Amelia, hit the hall table, bounced in the air and then smashed into the hanging foyer mirror. When the can made contact with the mirror, the impact caused several long cracks in the glass before the can clunked to the floor and rolled down the hallway.

Amelia and I just stared open-mouthed at the broken mirror, trying to ignore the phone still ringing in the background.

"Quick!" Amelia shrieked. "Turn around three times in a counter-clockwise direction!"

"What?" I asked.

"Just do it!" she begged. "Otherwise you'll have seven years of bad luck!"

Now, I'm not an overly superstitious person but accumulating more bad luck was certainly not something I needed in my life. And the "solution" seemed simple enough.

I turned around like Amelia instructed, feeling a bit foolish as I did so, but glad for the relief it seemed to bring my roommate.

"Go in the kitchen and get some salt. Throw it over your left shoulder," she advised.

"Why? I thought the salt superstition was that you throw it over your shoulder only if you spill some," I recalled.

"Well, yes, that's true. But throwing salt over your shoulder brings good luck and it can't hurt, can it?" she replied. "That was some job you did on the mirror."

My Gran never put much stock in things like superstitions. She considered them nonsense. But I felt a bit differently-- if I had a chance to walk _around_ a ladder, or to _not_ open an umbrella in the house, I would do so, just to be on the safe side. Some might consider that foolish; I considered it wise.

"Have you always been so superstitious, Amelia?" I wondered.

"Most witches are, Sookie. It seems only natural that we would. Superstition is rooted in beliefs concerning luck, prophecy, and supernatural beings- things that fascinate witches."

I wasn't going to argue with her because (1) I was going to be late for work; (2) turning in circles and throwing salt wasn't going to kill me but bad luck could; and (3) I was open-minded enough to accept that there were many things beyond my understanding. After all, I am 1/8 fairy.

I threw some salt over my shoulder and rushed to get ready for work. When I finally made it to Merlotte's, both Sam and Holly were a little annoyed at my late arrival.

"Thanks for covering for me, Holly," I said as I rushed past her to place my purse in Sam's office. As I was putting my work apron on, I glanced at the work schedule posted on Sam's wall. For some reason, I was not on the schedule for the next five days, even though I hadn't requested any time off.

I came out to find Sam behind the bar, busy filling orders. I looked at him questioningly and simply said, "Schedule?" He sighed and answered, "Later, cher," and then we were both off and running with customers for the rest of the night.

The long evening really took its toll on me. We had been busier than usual and I was tired from my all-day cleaning binge. But thankfully it had been an uneventful shift, unlike the evening before.

Yesterday, some Fellowship of the Sun fanatics had caused an ugly scene in the bar, which then spilled over into the parking lot. Andy Bellefleur happened to be at Merlotte's as the drama unfolded so it soon became a police matter. Although actual violence had been avoided, some very violent threats were made before it was all over, enough to scare me and to seriously rile Sam.

Since the Weres had revealed themselves several months ago, things had gone from bad to worse, and I feared that some kind of war was brewing. The general public seemed accepting of The Great Reveal, as it was called, but hate groups were gaining momentum. Sam's business wasn't hurting yet, fortunately, but groups like the Fellowship were quickly multiplying now that their focus had expanded to include vampires _and_ Weres.

As we were closing up, Sam motioned me to his office to talk.

"So what's with the schedule, Sam? Am I taking a vacation that I don't know about?" I could sense something heavy was weighing on him.

He had a guilty look as he began explaining. "Now don't get upset, Sookie.. I wanted to talk to you about this before you came in today but you didn't pick up your phone this afternoon."

"Talk to me about _what_, exactly?" I asked a bit coldly.

"Well, Eric thought…" at which I glared at him, "… um, we _both_ think that it might be safer for you to take a little time off until things cool off around the bar." He had an apologetic look on his face but it didn't soften my reaction.

"WHAT?" I asked incredulously. "You both decided that I could suddenly afford to lose five days of income? You didn't even discuss this with me! What am I supposed to do??"

"I'll still pay you for the time you missed, including what you would have made in tips," Sam explained.

"And how are _you _able to afford that? You'll have to also pay a salary to whoever replaces me." This was not making sense to me.

"Don't worry about it, cher. It's all taken care of," he said comfortingly, hoping I would just accept the offer.

"Taken care of by whom? _Eric_?" I stared at him but he couldn't meet my eyes. Now it was making sense to me. The answer was obvious.

Eric and I have sort of been "dating" for the past few months, slowly trying to come to terms with our blood bond, relationship and feelings for each other. Since I am now under the formal protection of Louisiana's vampire king, Eric feels even more personally responsible for my well-being. But his growing possessiveness and this latest action sent me over the edge.

"Okay, Sookie, you're right. Eric arranged for your shifts to be covered by some Fangtasia waitresses. But he'll continue to keep them on his payroll so I can keep you on mine," Sam said. "It works out for everyone and you'll be safe."

"Well it doesn't work out for me!" I replied. "How dare you both make these decisions for me! I am not a kept woman… I am an adult capable of making my own decisions and supporting myself, thank you," I said. "And whyis Eric telling youhow to run _your _business, anyway?"

"Sook, please don't be that way. We both care about you and when I spoke with him about what happened with the Fellowship last night, we agreed it best to follow the plan," he said. But he suddenly realized he had said more than he should have.

"You and Eric have a _plan_ concerning me? You _called_ him last night about me? I don't believe this," I said, stunned. I gathered my things and briskly headed for the door.

"Dammit, Sookie! Stop being so stubborn! I am not just going to stand by and watch something terrible happen to you! And with the way people feel about Weres these days, maybe working in a supe's bar is not the best job for you," he said, in a more forceful way than usual for him.

I turned back to face him. "Are you saying I no longer have a job here, Sam?"

He looked at me and shrugged. "I'm just saying that you need to take a few days off. We'll talk about working here later," he added, his voice full of regret.

I couldn't believe how downhill this evening had gone. "You know, I expect this kind of crap from Eric but not from you, Sam," I huffed.

He looked defeated and I definitely felt that way. I walked away without a goodbye and left Merlotte's, unsure of whether I'd ever be returning there.

I drove home, my emotions a tangled mess. I felt angry, I felt disappointed, but mostly I felt 'handled.' How dare Eric go behind my back and manipulate things with my boss? If Eric decided that working at Merlotte's was too 'dangerous,' he'd force Sam to take away my job? Unbelievable! Both Eric and Sam had a long way to go to get back in my good graces.

I parked in back and walked into my very clean house. It was quite late by now and Amelia was fast asleep, something I was desperate to do as well. The foyer light was still on as I walked by the cracked hall mirror. I stopped to glance at my reflection and the girl looking back at me seemed sad and powerless.

But an idea started forming at the back of my mind, a clever idea that grew as my eyes followed the patterns of the broken shards of glass. So much for bad luck and superstition, I thought. Sometimes you need to take control and make your own luck. I looked back at my reflection and this time I smiled.

************************************************

Eric arrived the next evening around 9:00, as expected. I knew that he could sense my anger and indignation because long before the doorbell rang, a feeling of calm washed over me. Definitely not _my_ emotions.

I opened the door for him, and he stood there looking gorgeous, also as expected. He tried to brush my cheek with a hello kiss, but I turned my face aside.

"Come in, we need to talk," I said as coolly as possible. It was always hard to control my feelings of lust when seeing him but I was determined to remain distant and aloof, at least for a while anyway.

He followed me into the hallway and I abruptly stopped, right where I wanted him.

"Lover," he began, but I needed to be the one leading things this evening.

"Don't try and 'lover' me, Eric. I am _so_ upset with you right now," I said. He tried to send me waves of peacefulness but I would have none of it.

"And stop that... that _thing_ you do with the bond. Stop controlling me!" I was getting into fighting mode.

Eric held up his large hands in a peace gesture. "Sookie. I am not _controlling_ you. I am merely trying to help you feel better. Is it any different than when a human comforts his lover with kind words or an embrace?"

Damn him and his logical persuasion.

"If you truly wanted to help me _feel better_ then you would stop trying to run my life and stop making decisions for me." I took a deep breath and jumped in. "How dare you make Sam change my work schedule and then pay to have other waitresses work for me!"

"Most women would be delighted to have some paid time off work," he responded calmly. He was too calm for my liking.

"Not _this_ woman! You didn't even talk to me about it… you just went ahead and did what you do best—manipulate!" I was doing a little manipulating of my own.

"Ah, so now we are getting to it," he said icily. "You care nothing for your own well-being and are too obstinate to let me help you. But if I arrange for your safety and security, which I am _obligated_ to do under the king's orders, you consider that manipulative?" I was starting to get a rise out of him.

"You were using Sam to spy on me and I may not even have a job to go back to now! Don't you see _anything_ wrong with going behind my back like that, Eric?" I asked, not surprised in the least by his vampire way of thinking.

"No, not at all. I do not need to 'consult' with you in matters concerning your protection. Sam is merely assisting me in ensuring your safety, Sookie." He seemed insulted that I would even question him.

"Perhaps, then, I should be spending my time with someone who _appreciates_ my opinion rather than a selfish vampire who thinks that everything and everyone is subject to his control!" I was reaching new heights of anger and so was he.

He clenched his fists, trying to calm himself and then leaned in dangerously close to me. His eyes had a steely blue glare as he hissed out, "Stop. Being. So. Foolish."

Perfect.

"Are you calling me a _fool_, Eric? Is that what you think of me?"

And then I began to cry. Not just slight tears but big drops joined by wracking sobs. Eric was visibly uncomfortable by my outburst and tried to calm me though the bond.

"You are twisting my words, Sookie," he said uneasily. "Please calm down and stop crying." He hesitantly reached out for me but I swatted his hands away, kicking things up another notch.

"Don't touch me!" I wailed, as I stepped back from him. This earned me a cold stare from him, rather than a heated response as one might expect.

"You are completely irrational. I refuse to have a discussion with you when you are in such a state."

At this point, Amelia came rushing into the hallway. "Is everything alright?" she asked, concerned. "What happened, Sookie? You're crying…" and Amelia glared at Eric in an accusing way.

I didn't say anything but kept at my sobbing. Predictably, Eric couldn't resist responding to her. "She is _fine_," he said frigidly. "This is a matter between the two of us and does not concern you, _witch_." His last word was laced with such contempt that Amelia and I both shivered.

"It does concern me, _vampire_, and if you don't treat Sookie and I with more respect, we will rescind your invitation." Amelia was quite proud of her power over him. Of course, he could have ripped her throat out in a split second but better not to dwell on that just now.

We all stared at each other in silence for a moment, absorbing the tense situation. Suddenly Amelia's eyes darted to the broken mirror on the wall behind Eric and she became quite agitated.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed. "Did you just have your argument right here, in front of that broken mirror?" She seemed alarmed by the possibility.

Eric's attention was drawn to the damaged glass for the first time. We both had bewildered expressions on our faces as we looked to Amelia.

"Well, yes," I sniffled. "Eric and I didn't have a chance to get past the hallway before we started… talking," I said.

"And could your reflection be seen in the broken mirror when you started crying?" she asked. Amelia really seemed worried.

"Why, exactly, does that matter?" Eric asked scornfully.

"It _matters _because the bad luck from the broken mirror has now been released. And since tears were shed in its shattered reflection, the bad luck transfers to the one who caused the tears," she said very solemnly.

We were all digesting that when Eric let out a loud laugh. "You must be kidding, witch! You actually expect me to believe this nonsense?"

"It's not nonsense, Eric," I joined in. "Amelia knows all about superstitions and if she says it's so, then it's true."

Eric started getting impatient. "I have been around long enough to know the difference between true magic and old wives' tales. Few superstitions have any real power in the supernatural or natural world, especially the ones you are feeding me tonight," he said arrogantly.

"You would be wise to listen to me," Amelia continued. "Bad luck will follow unless you take the proper measures to quickly correct this mistake," she said ominously.

Eric stared at Amelia and me, as if sizing us up. "This is merely a trick you two have conjured up and I will have no part in it," he said with conviction. "And I believe our conversation prior to this was at an end for the evening, Sookie."

And with that, he headed for the front door and was gone.

************************************************

Not surprisingly, the next week passed by without a word from Eric. Things between Sam and I were tense and I hadn't been "allowed" to return to work at Merlotte's. I was still upset with both Eric and Sam and I was going stir-crazy without a job (or a boyfriend).

I decided to call Fangtasia, to see how things were progressing on that front. Luckily, Pam answered the phone. She would be just the person to tell me what I wanted to know.

"Fangtasia, where all your bloody dreams come true," answered Pam in her typical bored fashion.

"Pam? This is Sookie. How are you?"

"Sookie! My favorite telepath… how are _you_?" she asked, genuine interest apparent in her voice.

"Okay, I guess. You know, Eric and I had a bit of a disagreement last week," I confided to her.

"Well, I'm not surprised. Eric has been absolutely unbearable lately. I assumed you were the root cause, as usual," she drawled. I didn't think that was a compliment.

"Unbearable, how?" I asked.

"Hard to please, short of patience, quick to anger… nothing we aren't used to. But having to deal with both him _and_ the unfortunate events of the past week really is becoming difficult to take," she admitted.

Hmm. Interesting. "What unfortunate events do you mean?" I asked, trying to control my excitement.

"I don't even know where to begin, Sookie. It started with little things, like deliveries getting delayed, paperwork being misplaced, and inventory missing. We thought that perhaps one of the employees was stealing from us. It was almost like a 'black cloud' was hanging over our heads, if I am remembering the correct saying," she said.

She hesitated before continuing. "But then a mysterious flu affected our human waitresses and we scrambled to find extra staff to run the bar. And things started breaking unexpectedly -- even Eric's beloved Corvette stopped running. No mechanic can figure out why."

"Wow, I can understand why Eric is upset," I said.

"Wait, there's more," she added. "Eric became convinced that a witch's spell had been cast upon him so he consulted with… _Beatrice_," she said with significance.

"Beatrice? Who's that?" I asked. The significance was obviously lost on me.

"She is a very powerful and respected witch. What is so unusual, Sookie, is for an important vampire like Eric to consider asking for advice from a witch. It is unheard of in our world," she said. "And given his unpleasant experience with Hallow, I am shocked that he would even ask a witch for help."

"Well it sounds like he was desperate, Pam." I couldn't help but smile. I was glad that Pam couldn't see me through the phone.

"I have never seen my master in such a state, Sookie," Pam said and her concern for Eric was obvious.

"So what did Beatrice do? Was she able to help him?" I asked, fascinated by our conversation, and a little anxious to hear Pam's upcoming answer..

"No, her services were futile. Beatrice came here and used her powerful magic to sense the presence of a spell but she was unable to detect anything. The witch even placed magic wards around Fangtasia but they have not been effective. She concluded that no witchcraft was involved and that the source was indeterminable."

"And how did Eric react to this conclusion?" I asked with baited breath.

"He was disappointed, to say the least. Tonight he has been more subdued, however-- almost as if he is resigned to it," Pam said as she sighed.

We talked for a few more minutes before Pam asked if I would like to speak with Eric.

"Not necessary, Pam," I said. "I certainly hope that things improve there. Oh, and pass along a message from me, if you don't mind," I added. "Please let Eric know that he needs to make things right." And I said goodbye.

************************************************

A few more days passed in much the same way but I knew that the end was near. One evening, while Amelia and I were watching a movie and eating popcorn, I could sense Eric's approach. I felt his panic and frustration, and a part of me felt my own remorse, but then the guilt quickly passed.

The doorbell rang and Amelia and I exchanged knowing looks. I went to open the front door and was stunned by Eric's altered appearance. His usual expressionless features were now quite readable to anyone brave enough to look him in the eye. He looked exhausted and upset, certainly, but also _unnerved_, for lack of a better word. I could sense his inner turmoil and wounded pride in coming here tonight-- he was not one to surrender easily. I may think of myself as a strong person but seeing my once-confident vampire in this condition was unsettling to me.

We acknowledged each other and I invited him into the house. Amelia was waiting for us in the living room and they nodded to one another as we entered the room.

We all stood silently for a moment, waiting to see who would speak first. It was finally Eric who took charge of the situation.

"I have come to see what must be done to reverse the effects of the broken mirror," he said simply.

Amelia waited before responding. Probably for dramatic effect. "Much time has passed, vampire; it may be harder to undo the bad luck's hold on you," she said gravely.

"If you are not capable enough to manage this, witch, then I will leave and find someone who is," Eric said sharply, trying to regain some control in a situation in which he clearly felt helpless.

Amelia was offended, as I expected she would be. "I never said I _couldn't _do it, I just wanted you to know that you have made this far more complicated than it needed to be," she scoffed.

I felt compelled to say something. "Eric, as Amelia will probably tell you, this won't work unless you truly believe in it. If you are not ready to do what you must to make things right between us, then leave now," I said firmly.

He looked at me with an intense gaze and stood his ground. "I am here, am I not?" he stated plainly. Yes he was.

"So am I to assume that your opinion of superstitions has changed since last time?" Amelia asked him. I was curious to hear his response.

"Let's just say that I am more 'open' to the idea of it being possible," he said begrudgingly. "And are you willing to _swear_ that none of your witchcraft was used in connection with this situation?" he asked her. I was curious to hear her response.

"Of course… my witchcraft has nothing to do with the problems you are facing," she said assuredly.

Eric reached into his pocket and pulled out a strange-looking twisted clump of white roots, which I assumed were part of some type of plant.

"What is that?" I asked, curiously.

"Mandrake root," he answered. "And if Amelia is telling the truth, she should have no problem swearing to that fact, over the roots." I looked to Amelia and the color drained slightly from her face. She tried to compose herself.

"Mandrake is a very mysterious and magical plant, Sookie. Superstition holds that it enhances fertility in women and is a type of aphrodisiac," she explained.

"So why must you swear over it?" I asked. I was confused.

Eric helped clarify things for me. "If Amelia is _lying_ when she takes an oath of mandrake, its magical effects will reverse themselves within her, causing her to become barren and 'loveless'," he added with a grin. I guess Eric had been doing a little bit of 'superstition research' in his free time.

"If that is what you need to hear in order for us to continue, Eric, then I am willing to swear an oath of mandrake," Amelia said confidently. Eric seemed a little surprised by her easy acceptance as she placed her right hand over the root.

Without waiting for Eric to guide her, Amelia quickly began. "I solemnly swear that, through no witchcraft or magic of my own, have I caused or influenced the unfortunate events that have befallen this vampire."

"Satisfied?" she asked. Eric looked at her, thinking over the words she just swore to, trying to determine if he had somehow been tricked, and then he slowly nodded acceptance.

"Good. Now that we've established trust between us, let's get this over with." She started heading for the hallway and motioned for us both to follow her.

"It is important that we return to the place where the bad luck began," she said. Amelia stopped in front of the hall mirror which was still hanging in its cracked state. "Only if we can reverse the _cause_ of the reflected tears can we hope to reverse the effects of the mirror."

Eric did not indicate any surprise regarding what Amelia just said; it was if he suspected as much. There was still this underlying sense of panic within him and he definitely seemed anxious to get this over with.

"Sookie, think back to the evening of your argument and recall what Eric did to trigger your tears, thus leading to this current disaster," she stated dramatically.

Amelia was really laying it on thick and I gave her a warning look to cool it a bit. My heart was racing, which Eric could sense. I was definitely not that comfortable dishing out 'payback.'

"Well," I began. "I was upset for many reasons." I could feel my anger start to rise as I recalled the evening.

"Briefly summarize the points for us so Eric may understand what must be remedied," she said, with an impressive flair.

"Okay," I said and took a deep breath. "Eric made decisions for me, about me, without my consent. He used others to check up on me and to control my life. He manipulated me without regret." I thought that was a good summary. "Oh, and he is overly possessive," I added.

I looked to Eric to see his response. He was visibly upset by my comments but tried to remain composed.

"Okay, Eric, now you must place one hand flat against the broken glass. With your free hand, I want you to clasp Sookie's right hand and close your eyes," Amelia said.

It felt good to finally feel his hand in mine and I could sense he felt the same way. It calmed us both.

Amelia's voice brought us back to the task at hand. "Eric, I want you to tell Sookie what you are willing to do to heal this situation. Remember that if your words are not truly sincere, then this will not work. Keep your eyes closed as you speak to Sookie."

Amelia looked to me and winked.

This had to be monumentally difficult for him to do. Eric swallowed hard before he began. "Sookie, I apologize for changing your work schedule without your consent. I will consult you about decisions regarding your welfare. I will not use others in an attempt to monitor or control you." He stopped speaking but looked as if he was struggling to find more to say. We gave him some time.

He continued. "I am sorry that you feel manipulated and possessed by me. All that I do is for your protection and well-being, and because I care so deeply for you." He opened his eyes to look at me and I could see the sincerity and hopefulness in them.

"Is that response satisfactory to you, Sookie?" Amelia asked. "Be sure-- the bad luck's reversal is dependant upon this," she added.

I smiled at Eric and my heart softened. "Yes, what he has said is satisfactory to me." Score one for Sookie.

"Good," Amelia said. "Now kiss Sookie so that you may bind what you have just spoken and drive away the bad luck following you."

He pulled me into his arms and his face had already resumed its normal features, thank goodness. I could feel a wave of longing and relief wash over us and our kiss felt full of healing and comfort.

Amelia cleared her throat to remind us she was there and Eric and I pulled apart.

"We are almost through. The final step to breaking a spell of bad luck is to turn seven times in a clockwise circle. Eric, you may go ahead," Amelia said.

He obeyed her command without question. It was quite amusing to watch a 6' 4" former Viking turning circles in my little foyer but he did it with grace.

"We must wait now, Eric, to see if our efforts tonight have been successful. You will leave immediately and wait a full three days before contacting Sookie again. This will ensure that the bad luck does not settle upon you both."

Eric looked to me questioningly and I nodded agreement to Amelia's suggestion. "Come over in three days and we can 'make up,' Eric," I said in my most seductive way. I could feel his growing desire as I walked him to the door.

"I'm looking forward to our makeup session, lover," Eric said smoothly. We shared a passionate goodnight kiss and if that kiss was any indication, things seemed to be back to normal between us. As I was closing the door, I was sure to add, "Eric, don't forget to call Sam as soon as possible… I need to return to work." I smiled and closed the door.

************************************************

Two nights later the doorbell rang and I was pleased to see my great-grandfather Niall standing before me. "Child," he said warmly and I invited him in. We exchanged pleasantries as we settled ourselves on the couch.

"Thank you, again, great-grandfather, for all of your help with the Eric situation."

"Ah, so have things worked out as you hoped with your bonded, Sookie?" he asked with a pleasant smile.

"Yes, perfectly. But I was a little nervous when I heard that Eric brought in that witch to help him sort things out," I admitted.

"Beatrice is a powerful witch, that is true. However, no amount of witchcraft could ever rival the power of a fairy," he explained. "It was a simple task for me to suppress the essence of my fairy magic in the bar. The witch never had a chance." Nor did Eric, I thought.

"So fairy magic trumps witchcraft magic?" I asked. This was a good thing to know.

"Always, my dear, always," he said proudly. He looked at me and could tell that something was troubling me. "Is there something wrong, dear?"

"No, just a little bit of guilt, I guess. And there is something I was wondering about, if you don't mind me asking," I said.

"Certainly, what would you like to know?" He was willing to share but I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

"Well, by the time Eric finally came to me to make amends, he was panic stricken and desperate to reverse the "bad luck.' What misfortunate finally sent him over the edge like that?" I wondered.

Niall smiled a knowing smile. "My child, it was quite simple and something I should have thought to do right away. I merely took away his sexual desire and his, shall we say, _ability _in that area."

Well that explained everything.

"It is always a pleasure to do something for you, my dear great-granddaughter. Any time you need a favor, do not hesitate to call me, my child" he said.

I thought about it briefly before replying, "Well, since you mention it, there is the matter of _Sam's_ poor behavior lately…"

************************************************

**A/N:** I know, I know, our beloved Sookie would _never_ be that manipulative. But I couldn't resist the idea of Eric getting a taste of his own medicine! Thanks for reading… VL1


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